Apple Of My Eye
by xxjmm96xx
Summary: It had been 8 years since Jules left. Left the team and left him. No contact at all. So who is this stranger, this beautiful little girl who shows up on his doorstep? Was this why Jules had run all those years ago? What exactly was she hiding?
1. The Past is the Past

The guys of the SRU Team 1 were in the locker room, changing and getting ready to go home after a long and successful day. It was only about six, but the boss was letting them off early.

Team 1 had managed to rescue a trapped mom and her little boy. Sam had been able to take down the crazy ex-boyfriend without shooting him as Greg talked him down.

As the boss so often said, no one needed to die today.

After they had debriefed, Spike had asked Sam to come for drinks, as he always did. And as always, Sam declined.

"C'mon Sammy boy," Spike prodded. "You never drink anymore."

This however, was untrue. Sam did drink, but he did it in his own apartment, where he could mope around and drown his own sorrows.

He missed Jules, plain and simple. He missed seeing her at work every day, doing what she did best. Apparently, some other division thought it would be necessary to have Jules on their team and she had jumped at the offer yet no one knew why. The transfer had taken her far away from Team 1.

He also recalled the few times he had convinced her to come to his apartment…

He shook his head, refocusing. He flashed Spike a toothy grin. "Next time, I promise."

He slammed his locker shut, shifting the weight of his bag on his shoulder. "See you later, buddy," he said, clapping Spike's shoulder as he walked by.

Sam paused for a minute outside the men's locker room, looking at the red sign that had once held Jules' name.

But that was eight years ago, he told himself as he continued to walk on.

* * *

><p>Back to the loneliness of his apartment.<p>

He went to his fridge and pulled out a beer, popping the cap.

He went back in the living room and relaxed into his favorite chair. He took a sip, reveling in the liquid that slid down his throat.

Sam thought about his conversation with Spike and his thoughts instantly switched to Jules.

He sighed. Eight years had gone by and he still wasn't over her, not that he would ever admit it.

He remembered that day like it was yesterday…

* * *

><p><em>Sam knocked on Jules' locker room door. <em>

"_Decent!" came her reply, faint behind the door. _

_He shoved the door open and sat down on the bench while she checked her reflection in the mirror. _

"_You look beautiful, as always," Sam offered. _

_Jules looked at him and scoffed. She turned back to her locker, her back facing him and began rummaging around. _

_Sam came up behind her, placing his hands on her hips and kissed the side of her neck. _

"_Sam, stop," she said, pushing him away; the exact opposite of what she wanted to do. "You know we're over." _

"_But why? We're perfect for each other," he persisted. He knew how he felt, why did she have to be so difficult? _

_She remained quiet, all the thoughts in her head making it spin. _

_He stepped back, examining her closely, making her squirm. _

"_Are you okay? You seem off today," he asked her._

_She should have known that he would pick up on that; he always knew her better than she seemingly knew herself. _

"_Yeah, I'm fine," she said._

_Sam waited for her to continue, but when she said nothing else he gave up. _

_He picked up her bag and handed it to her, and they made their way towards the briefing room._

_Everyone else was sitting already, Greg at the head of the table per usual. He gave Sam a look when they came in together, but Sam pretended not to notice as he and Jules took their seats. _

_Greg cleared his throat and began talking, but he seemed off as well. Sam wondered what the hell was going on. _

"_So far there have been no calls-," _

"_Thanks for jinxing us, Boss," Ed teased, but Greg didn't laugh. _

"_And I figured now would be as good a time as any to make a little announcement." _

_-Announcement? they all wondered. –What could this be about? _

"_It was brought to my attention yesterday that one of the members of this team was offered another job, working with another division. They have accepted the job and today is their last day here with us. I'd like to congratulate Jules on her new position." _

_The room was silent with disbelief. _

_Sam turned to Jules who was looking like she was trying hard not to cry. _

"_Jules…you're leaving Team 1?" Spike asked, breaching the silence that no one else could seem to do. _

_Jules opened her mouth to say something, to defend herself perhaps, but they would never know because the sound of the alarm requesting their assistance sounded and they were on the move. _

"_Let's give Jules a great last day," were Greg's parting words. _

_After the shift, he had looked for her. He had expected her to be in the locker room and he pushed in, this time without knocking. _

_He was met with an empty locker room and complete silence...her locker was already cleaned out, any trace of her gone. She was already gone. _

_He sat down on the bench, burying his face in his hands. _

_He didn't even look up when the locker room door creeped open. The next thing he knew, Greg was sitting with him, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. _

_Greg had lost the woman who had been like a daughter to him and Sam…_

_Sam had lost the love of his life._

* * *

><p>He jumped at the sound of a knock at his door, ripping him out of his reverie.<p>

He put the beer he had only taken a sip of on the small table in front of him and made his way to the door.

Sam had no clue who could be at his door; no one usually visited him here and he liked it that way.

He twisted the door knob and yanked the door open to reveal a heavier set woman with hair that was twisted into a sleek bun. She looked around his age if not a little older.

Sam raised his eyebrows in question, not recognizing the woman and that's when he noticed the kid that was hanging warily behind her.

Sam looked in shock from the child to the woman.

She gave him a sympathetic glance. "Sam Braddock? We need to talk."


	2. Haleigh Rose Callaghan

Sam politely thanked the woman and led her out the door, but even after her explanation, he was still just as confused as before.

He rubbed a hand over his face, trying to ignore the pounding of a headache settling in.

He looked over at the small couch to see his blue eyes staring back at him.

The child was a beautiful little girl; Haleigh Rose Callaghan. She was eight years old he had been informed. Haleigh looked exactly like Jules, from her long, straight brown hair to her toes that wiggled around in her flip flops. But Sam could see himself in this child; his bright blue eyes and mouth.

There was no escaping this fact: Haleigh was Sam's child with Jules. Sam was a dad.

"Are you okay, Daddy?" Haleigh asked, blinking her innocent blue eyes up at him. He melted immediately.

He plopped back down in his chair and leaned his elbows on his knees, getting on Haleigh's level. "Haleigh, sweetie, what are you doing here?" He had worked with kids before, but this was different. He didn't even _know _Haleigh existed.

Haleigh copied Sam's position, and he couldn't help but smirk. "Ms. Harper told you already," she said. "And I wanted to meet you."

He sighed. All the woman had told him was that Haleigh had arrived at the softball camp she had signed up for over the summer and she had said that she wanted to come here, to her Dad's house. He had tried to tell Ms. Harper that he had no daughter, but she obviously had some sort of proof because she left Haleigh there.

"How did you know that I was your dad?" Sam couldn't help but ask.

"Oh that's easy," Haleigh said, reaching into the bag she had brought with her. She produced a photo and handed it to Sam. "I found this is Mommy's room and asked her about it."

Sam remembered this picture. It was a picture of Team 1, all of them suited up in their uniforms in the briefing room, smiling before the next disaster struck. Sam was next to Jules, his arm slung lazily around her.

Haleigh got up and went to Sam's side. Her hands looked so tiny compared to his as she pointed at the picture. "That's Uncle Ed, Uncle Greg, Uncle Wordy, and Uncle Spike. And that's you and Mommy," she said, smiling up at him.

Sam was still full of questions, but just as they bubbled to his lips, Haleigh yawned and rubbed her eyes.

"You tired?" Sam asked. "Come on, you can sleep in my bed tonight."

He stood up and watched as Haleigh meticulously put the photo back and pulled out a pair of pajamas.

He put a hand on her small shoulder and guided her to the bathroom. While she changed, he went into his room and pulled back the covers. He sat on the edge of the bed and tried organizing his thoughts, seeing what he already knew. His mind worked like a cop without even meaning to.

He has an eight year old daughter with Jules. Jules left around eight years ago. This has to be the reason she left so suddenly.

His mind switched gears again. Jules thinks Haleigh is at a softball camp. Sam would have to place a call to Jules. This thought made his palms sweat and his knees go weak with desire and nervousness.

Sam saw the bathroom door open and Haleigh scurried into his bedroom.

Before he could offer to hoist her up onto the bed, she had jumped, bouncing up and down in her pj shorts. "Squishy," she said, and giggled.

Haleigh was independent, just like Jules. And actually, just like him. He smiled.

"Okay, kiddo lay down," Sam said awkwardly. He barely knew his daughter, but he already loved her. But he knew this relationship needed work. He had missed out on eight years of her life and he wanted to make up for it.

"Wait," she said, and rummaged through her bag again, this time taking out a worn stuffed bear. Satisfied, she snuggled down into the bed, clutching the bear tightly.

"Oh, who's this?" Sam said, coming around to the other side of the bed and tucking her in. He kneeled down on the side of the bed and she rolled over to her other side, fixing him with her baby blues.

"This is Bubba. I've had him since I was born." She yawned again.

"He's very cute," Sam remarked, patting its head. "Goodnight, Haleigh."

He wanted to kiss the top of her head; he even leaned down to do it, but he didn't want to overstep. They barely knew each other, but he felt like he did.

"We have to talk tomorrow morning," Sam warned, but he smiled at her as he walked out.

For the third time, he sat down in his chair, only this time he picked up the phone. He fiddled with it, and even started dialing the all-too-familiar number. But he couldn't make himself press the send button.

Well, it wasn't like she was going anywhere tonight. He could always call tomorrow before or after work…

He moved onto the couch, replacing the phone with the TV remote. He turned it on, keeping the volume low and absentmindedly flipping through channels.

A creak from behind made him shoot up, instantly alert. He turned to find Haleigh standing there, clutching Bubba, and looking shy all of a sudden.

"What's wrong?" Sam asked, looking behind her to see if there was anything there.

"I…can't sleep," she said, hugging the bear tighter.

Without another word, Sam held out his arms and Haleigh climbed onto the couch beside him. She leaned on him and soon, he could hear her breathing even out as she fell asleep.

He looked down at this little angel, his _daughter, _and smiled, content.

He shut off the TV and as he closed his eyes he thought that maybe building a relationship with Haleigh would be easier than he had been anticipating.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Second chapter already up! I think I'm likening this story. :) Let me know what you guys think; leave a comment! <strong>_

_**xoxo  
>Janelle <strong>_


	3. Meeting Team 1

Sam woke up early, as he always did for work. Haleigh was still sleeping on him, but he needed to get ready, so he gently shifted her weight off of him and he got up.

He grabbed a nearby blanket and draped it over her as he went to go take a shower.

He was all dressed and just getting breakfast ready when Haleigh appeared in the kitchen with a serious case of bed-head.

"Hey sleepyhead, you hungry?" Sam asked her, getting out another bowl to pour some cereal in.

Haleigh skipped over to his side. "Are those Frosted Flakes?"

"You like them?" Sam asked, and poured them in the bowl when she nodded.

"I love them, but Mommy doesn't so it's like never in the house," she said, thanking him and taking the bowl back to the table, looking right at home.

Sam smiled inwardly at a memory of Jules. He had found out the hard way that she hated Frosted Flakes.

They ate for the most part in silence. There was so much to talk about, but neither of them knew where to start.

Sam glanced at the kitchen clock; he was going to be late if he didn't get a move on.

That's when he realized that Haleigh was eight and she couldn't stay at his place by herself. "Crap," he groaned out loud.

Haleigh looked a question up at him as she finished her cereal.

"Can you get ready really quick?" he asked her, rinsing out the bowls and leaving them in the sink so he could wash them when he got home.

"Why?" she asked, drawing out the question.

"You're coming to work with me today," he told her.

He laughed when she jumped up and down, squealing with excitement.

* * *

><p>Despite how quickly Haleigh had gotten ready, Sam was still late when he finally made it to the SRU building.<p>

They were all sitting around the table in the briefing room and they all looked up when Sam finally entered.

"Hey, Boss, sorry I'm late. Some…personal reasons," Sam hesitated, not sure how to explain Haleigh considering he didn't even get it himself.

Haleigh looked around from behind Sam and spotted Greg. "Uncle Greg!" she squealed, running out from behind Sam and into Greg's waiting arms.

"Haleigh! What are you doing here, sweetie?" Greg asked, kissing the top of her head.

"You know her?" Sam asked, looking at Greg accusingly.

The rest of the team looked on in shock and confusing.

Greg gave Sam a meaningful look. _We need to talk. _

"Who's that?" Spike asked.

Sam cleared his throat. "This is Haleigh. My daughter." Haleigh smiled and waved at the rest of the team.

The team's expressions varied, but they were variants of the same thing. Shock, disbelief. They looked from Sam back to Haleigh, as if trying to put two and two together.

"Sam, can I talk to you for a minute?" Greg asked. He gestured for the two of them to take a few steps away to separate them from the rest of the team.

Sam looked over Greg's shoulder, making sure that Haleigh was okay. She was doing fine; already engaging Wordy and Ed in some conversation.

"Sam, what is she doing here?" Greg asked.

"How do you know her? Considering I just found out about her last night," Sam countered. "Is she really mine?"

"Yes," Greg said, keeping his voice low.

"Why didn't Jules tell me? Is that why she left?" Sam asked, trying to find his footing. Every time he felt like he was making more sense out of things, the rug got pulled out from him again.

Greg nodded. "Jules called me a few years ago, asking me to help her. I got to her house and saw Haleigh and I made her explain everything. She made me promise not to say anything to you. I'm sorry, Sam," he said, placing a hand on his arm.

Sam shrugged his hand off of him. "She made me miss out on my daughter's life. I don't know how I could forgive her for that," he said, his voice hard.

"I know you're upset, but don't be too hard on her," Greg said, instantly protecting Jules. "Now, how did she end up here?"

Sam explained how the woman from the softball camp brought her there at Haleigh's request.

Greg chuckled. "Haleigh's smart; observant." He paused. "Does Jules know she's here?"

Now it was Sam's turn to sigh. "No, I have to call her. I can only imagine how _that_ conversation is going to go."

Greg could tell Sam had feelings for Jules, no matter how hard he was trying to be mad at her or hide it. He gave Sam a reassuring look and then went over to join the team, knowing Sam would follow.

"Look it, Daddy, Wordy's braiding my hair," she said, flashing him one of her heart warming smiles.

Sure enough, Wordy was sitting behind her, criss-crossing three different strands of hair.

"Really, Wordy? Braiding?" Sam teased, causing the rest of the team to laugh.

"Shelly taught me." Ed gave him a strange look. "Hey, you try living with three daughters," he joked in an effort to defend himself.

Sam plopped into the empty seat between Spike and Donna. Donna had rejoined the team after Jules had left, seeing as they were short one person and the commander wanted them to be a team of at least 6.

Sam could tell that Team 1 had fallen in love with Haleigh, just as he had.

Ed swiveled around to face Sam. "Why did you bring her here? You know the rules," he whispered.

"I didn't have anybody to watch her." He rushed on to explain after Ed didn't lessen his sharp gaze. "C'mon Ed, cut me some slack. I'll tell you guys everything after, I promise."

Haleigh skipped over to Sam's side, swinging her braid back and forth. "Thanks Uncle Wordy," she said, smiling at him over the table. Wordy winked back at her.

Just then, the alarm sounded, and Winnie's voice came over the speakers, announcing that they needed the assistance of Team 1 regarding a crisis.

Haleigh nearly jumped into Sam's arms, unused to the alarm.

Sam placed a reassuring hand on her back as he got out of his seat. The team was already dressed and they wasted no time in getting ready.

"Haleigh has to stay here," Greg told Sam. "No exceptions."

Sam wasn't comfortable allowing Haleigh to stay here without him there, but he had no choice.

Sam took Haleigh's hand in his and led her to the desk where Winnie sat. "Hey Winnie, I have a huge favor to ask."

"Shoot," Winnie said, placing her fingers on the headset she was wearing.

"I need you to keep an eye on Haleigh here for me. She's my daughter." Sam ignored the shocked look that Winnie gave him. "Winnie?"

"Oh yeah sure," she said, realizing he was on call. "Now get out there and save the day."

"That's the plan," he said, and turned back to Haleigh, kneeling down in front of her. "I need to go, but this is Winnie and she's going to take care of you for a little while. I'll be back as soon as I can, okay?"

Haleigh nodded. "Okay, Daddy."

"Sam!" Ed called; everyone was already almost to the truck. "Get a move on!"

Sam got up, and giving Haleigh one last look, kissed her on the forehead. "I'll see you when I get back," he told her, and half-jogged away. He heard Winnie talking to Haleigh as he walked away.

Sam hopped in the truck that Ed was in; he was already occupying the driver's seat.

Ed shot him a look as he gunned the engine.

"What?" Sam asked. "If you have something to say, then say it."

Ed shook his head. "Just making sure your head's in the game, Sammy boy."

"I'm fine," Sam scoffed. "Let's go save some lives."


	4. Phone Call

By the time Sam and the rest of the team got back to the SRU building, it was late.

He checked on Haleigh, who was sleeping, curled up on a chair. Then he went to debrief and change.

He had hoped he could escape talking to the team, but they were all questions when they got into the locker room, and he was forced to explain as much as he could.

They were just as surprised as he was the night before. They couldn't believe that Jules had hid this from them. They were supposed to have been a family.

After Sam was finished, the locker room emptied out pretty fast; they all gave him reassuring looks and congratulatory pats on the back.

Sam was once again left with Greg.

"You calling her tonight?" he asked, closing his locker door.

"I'm going to have to," Sam told him.

All of a sudden, the brave front he was holding up around the other guys melted away. He leaned against the locker for support and said, "I just found her, Boss. I'm not ready to let her go yet."

"Just talk to her, Sam. I think Jules will understand. You still have feelings for her, I can tell. And I'm betting she feels the same way. She felt like she had to leave years ago, and if you ask to have time with your daughter, she should listen. You deserve a chance," Greg said, talking from the heart.

Sam could feel that Greg wanted him to be a father to his kid, because he couldn't be a father to his own kid.

"I'll try and work things out," Sam promised. He gave a small wave to the boss and walked out to go collect Haleigh.

"Thanks for watching her Winnie," Sam said, when he made it to the front desk. "Was she too much trouble?" He was whispering so he didn't wake her.

"Oh, not at all. She is the sweetest thing. I gave her some paper and a pen and she kept herself busy drawing for the most part. She is so curious; she asked all about the buttons on the computer and stuff," Winnie said.

It seemed that whoever spent even a little amount of time with Haleigh fell in love, and he was no different.

"Yeah, I think I'll keep her," he joked. "Thanks again, Winnie."

Sam went to go shake her awake, but when he saw how peaceful she looked sleeping, he couldn't bear to wake her. So he bent down and lifted her up. She stirred a little, but only wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her head in his shoulder.

When he lifted her up, a piece of paper fell to the floor. He bent down to get it and flipped it over, seeing a picture that Haleigh had drawn.

It was a picture of three stick figures in the park, big trees around them. There were two taller stick figures and one shorter one in the middle. The arrows pointed down at their heads and were labeled Daddy, Mommy, and me.

Sam couldn't help but smile, and he began wistfully thinking that maybe they could put a family together.

* * *

><p>Haleigh was safely tucked away in his bed, Bubba under her arm, snoring softly.<p>

Sam took the drawing that Haleigh had made and hung it on his otherwise bare fridge. Then he walked into the living room, picking up the phone. There was no use delaying the inevitable.

He dialed the number he had had memorized since she had first given it to him.

He took a deep breath as the phone rang and rang and rang…

Hey, maybe she wouldn't pick up. At least he tried-

"Hello?"

Her voice sounded the same, and it was like she never left. All the memories he had kept at bay flooded back. How could he have let her go? How could she have just left?

Now that she was on the phone, he couldn't think straight and he had no clue what to say.

"Hello?" she said, a slight attitude in her voice as she waited for someone to answer.

"Jules. Um, hey," he said, finally able to get something out. She probably thought he was a freak.

"Oh my gosh, Sam? Wow, it's been…a long time," she said, chuckling slightly nervously. Automatically, her heart pumped harder and her pulse raced. She couldn't believe that he still made her feel this way. "Are you okay?" she asked, suddenly worried. Why else would he be calling after all this time?

"Oh, yeah I'm fine. You know, things are pretty much the same," he said. He pursed his lips and blew out a rush of air. "So, listen, I really need to talk to you."

"Sure, about what?" she asked, a bit hesitant. What could he possibly want?

He decided there was no easy way to broach this subject so he blurted, "Why didn't you tell me we had a daughter together, Jules?" He said it accusingly, which set off the hostility in her voice.

"Would it have mattered, Sam, honestly? Neither of us was ready to start a family. It was something that just…happened, you know?"

Sam felt like the wind got knocked out of him. Who knew that words could hurt so much?

She continued talking when he didn't say anything and she knew that she had said the wrong thing, _again. _"I didn't want to hold you back; it wasn't fair. So I took a leave, went to a different team. I didn't want to tell you afterwards because I didn't want you to think that you had an obligation to me. I was doing just fine on my own."

"What? That doesn't even make sense! That should have been my call; you shouldn't have left without explaining. And you definitely shouldn't have hid my daughter from me."

He was angry now. Angry at her and angry at himself. If he hadn't kept her at bay for so long, maybe she wouldn't have left and he could have helped raise Haleigh.

"I didn't get to be there when she was born. I missed out on all her firsts; first word, when she took her first step. She probably grew up thinking that her Daddy didn't love her, but I didn't even know she existed!" Sam said. He realized he had raised his voice and he shot a quick look at the bedroom, hoping he didn't disturb Haleigh.

He sat on the couch, knowing he needed to get to the real point he had called.

"Well, I didn't know, I assumed-," she started.

"First rule, don't ever assume," he snapped, but it didn't have so much heat in it. That was his first rule as a rookie on the team; never assume. "You don't know that I wouldn't have been there. I could have been a great father."

They were both silent, steaming in their own anger.

"I'm not apologizing, if that's what you're looking for. I thought I was doing what was best for me and my unborn child," Jules said firmly. "How do you know about Haleigh anyway? Did Sarge spill?"

"No, actually, that's the reason I called." Sam rushed into telling the story about the woman showing up from the softball camp and such. "So I have her here now," he finished.

"Oh, no, no, no," Jules said. "She's way too smart for her own good," she grumbled.

"Sound like anyone you know?" Sam chuckled.

"Yeah, you," Jules countered, laughing.

They both stopped, as if realizing their connection all over again. So many things that Sam could have said right then.

_Come back. I need you. I want you back. I love you._

But none of that came out. Instead he sat, listening to her breathing on the other end of the phone, thinking things could never go back to the way they were.

"So, I can probably come down tomorrow and pick her up, if that's okay with you," Jules was saying.

"Huh? No, wait. Please, let her stay with me. Just for a little while," Sam asked.

"Sam, I don't think it's such a good idea…"

"Why not? I missed out on the whole beginning of her life, and you can't keep her from me anymore. You owe me this," he said, hating playing the guilt trip, but hey whatever works.

Jules gave a defeated sigh, knowing she couldn't refuse Sam anything. That's why she had left without saying goodbye; she was afraid she would change her mind. "Okay, Sam. She can stay for now."

"Thank you." Inside, he was giving a mental cheer. "You know you could always come and stay down here…"

"No, thanks Sam. I should stay here." Oh, but how she wanted to go back to him. Never had she wanted anything more.

"Alright."

"I'll be in touch," she said. "I want to talk to her tomorrow, make sure this is really what she wants."

"Okay."

"Bye, Sam."

"See ya, Jules."

Sam put down the phone, wondering how he still felt the strong pull towards her.

He was unaware that miles away, Jules was wondering the same exact thing.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Why do they have to be so difficult? ;)<br>comments are always welcome! **_


	5. Welcome Back

At breakfast the next morning, Sam asked Haleigh a bunch of questions, trying to get to know her better. In turn, she asked him the same questions back.

"What's your favorite color?" he asked between bites of cereal.

She thought for a moment. "Purple, but sometimes blue. Yours?"

"I don't really have one, but I guess I like green," he told her. "Do you play any sports besides softball?"

"Not on like a team, but I like street hockey. I don't know how to ice skate," she admitted.

"You don't? Well, we'll just have to go sometime," Sam smiled.

"Do you play any sports?" she asked, her mouth full.

"Not now because of work, but in high school, I played hockey and lacrosse."

"Lacrosse." She rolled the new word around on her tongue. "What's that?"

Sam launched into a conversation about lacrosse, but she looked on blankly so he ended with saying he would have to show her.

Sam brought their bowls to the sink and when he turned back around from rinsing them out, he saw Haleigh lying on the floor gasping.

"Haleigh! Haleigh, what's wrong?" he asked frantically, falling to the floor beside her.

She was clutching her throat and trying to get air down. He picked her up in his arms, like a baby. She was so light.

He realized he should have asked if she was allergic to anything. He asked her and she nodded.

He grabbed the cereal box and quickly scanned the ingredients. Strawberries. That had to be it.

_Shit. _

He grabbed his car keys and hustled her out the door in his arms.

Jumping in the car, he started to the hospital.

* * *

><p>Sam burst through the emergency room, yelling for someone to help.<p>

Instantly, medical personnel surrounded him, asking for explanations.

"I think she's allergic to strawberries," he told them.

"You think?" one of them asked.

He didn't bother to explain.

They placed her on a gurney and went to wheel her away.

Sam started to follow, but one of them held him back. "We'll let you see her when she's stabilized. She's in good hands now."

"But I'm her father," he pleaded.

The nurse gave him a sympathetic look and she led him to the hallway outside the room Haleigh was being worked on.

Sam sat on the bench, wanting to punish himself for being so stupid. That should always be one of the first things you should know about your kid.

He pulled out his phone.

His first call was to Greg, saying he couldn't come in to work today. He explained the situation and Greg said that the team was on their way. No amount of persuading would convince him not to come.

His second call was to Jules. As soon as he said that Haleigh was in the hospital, Jules said she was on her way.

Sam was shortly joined outside the room by the rest of Team 1. Ed and Greg sat on either side of him and Wordy and Spike sat across from them.

"I didn't know, how was I supposed to know? I didn't know," Sam kept saying over and over, completely distraught.

"Take it easy, Sam. You really couldn't have known," Greg said.

"He's right," Ed said. He put a reassuring hand on Sam's shoulder. "It's not your fault."

Sam looked at Ed, blue eyes meeting blue eyes. "It's not?"

Ed shook his head.

And somehow with the team there, Sam found the strength not to self implode while they were fixing his daughter in the room behind him.

This was the second time that the team helped him; the first being when Jules left. He didn't know what he would do without them.

After what seemed like an eternity, the doctor came out and she was fine and yes it was an allergy to strawberries. They allowed them all to visit with Haleigh.

Sam went in alone first as the rest of the team waited outside.

Haleigh was sleeping, looking so small and fragile on the long hospital bed.

He didn't want to wake her, so he stood there, watching her sleep for a while, as if assuring himself that she was really okay.

"I'm so sorry baby girl. I'll never hurt you again," he whispered. He kissed her forehead and she stirred a little in her sleep, but didn't wake up yet.

Sam sighed and went back out in the hallway to wait until she woke up.

When he got out in the hallway, Team 1 was having a reunion with their long gone team member. They were laughing and talking and acting like a family again.

At first they didn't see him exit the door, but Ed spotted him first, and cleared his throat, causing Jules to turn around from where she was in a huge bear hug from Spike.

Her eyes met Sam's and he felt a shock go through his system.

She didn't look much different. Her hair was a bit longer, but she was Jules. Beautiful, perfect Jules. And she was here.

He didn't expect to feel this right now; since he had talked to her on the phone, he thought he had gotten in out of his system.

But he had known the feelings had always been there, just on the surface, waiting to show up when he saw her again.

A couple of moments passed and Sam and Jules just stared at each other, their stares never wavering.

Sam could see the conflicting emotions on her face, but he was just happy to see her, wanted to hug her. But he knew whatever he tried; she would push him away, just like always.

"We're going to head down to the cafeteria, get some coffee or something," Greg said, knowing they weren't really paying attention anymore.

Greg exited, motioning for the rest of the team to follow in behind him.

Sam waited till they were gone. "Hey, Jules," he said with a sheepish smile. "It's good to see you."

Ignoring the warning signs that she shouldn't, she rushed into his inviting arms for a warm hug. She missed the safe feeling that she felt when she was in his arms and she felt like she could stay there forever.

"Welcome back, Jules," he whispered into her hair.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Well, I was going to wait a little while to bring Jules back, but since you guys wanted her back, here she is :) …I'm always open for suggestions, so if there is a way you want this story to go, I'd love to hear your ideas. Please review, they help keep the creative juices going! So hit that button ;) <strong>_


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